So a few days ago…or maybe a week ago…I typed up a lovely review of InchBug Labels, saved it as a draft and then wordpress crashed. My post was lost to cyberspace. I’d do my best to write a similar review but I was fond of my first one!

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A while back we received out trail pack of InchBug Labels. Mama Owl and I were excited to see them as we know first hand the two main benefits to labels: food allergies and childcare/school. InchBug makes many different kinds of labels, from long and skinny to picture labels, bag tags, orbit labels etc. They are very customizable as well. For those of you who have children in school and childcare settings you know that things don’t always come home, or the stuff that comes home may not be yours. InchBug solves that problem. Also labels are extremely helpful for those with food allergies. InchBug has food allergy specific labels as well. Personally I like the customizable labels and added Little Ladybug’s allergies to that. There are tons of cute patterns and designs for boys and girls alike.

The labels themselves have been awesome. Easy to put on, just peel and stick. They are not super forgiving if you mess up but if you get an air bubble like I did (I don’t recommend multitasking while applying the labels) just pop it with a needle and squish the air out. All of the labels have held up through washes by hand and the dishwasher, drops and even my air bubble incident. So far no peeling, or fading (although Little Ladybug has yet to leave them in the sun unattained for long periods of time). I would buy them again and recommend them to anyone in need of labels!

****Again a disclaimer that this is a honest review thus the content may be graphic, so read on brave views or just cover you eyes and scroll down ******

Well this thing has a learning curve for sure and insert/removal take some getting used to. I did end up trimming the stem, apparently wiping feels….um different…if the stem is too far down. Day One I was not convinced I would keep it, as the insert and removal took a bit of work. But half way through day two I got the hang of it and its so easy to use. Using it for the first time does feel different, I couldn’t put my finger on it but Mama Owl equated it to feeling as if there was an air bubble. After a short while I found it unnoticeable. As for changing it I decided to check it after 5 hours instead of waiting the 8-12 hours as suggested by the manufacture. I think 8 – 12 may work well for average or light days but if you have a heavy flow I would change it closer to 6 hours. This is much better than the standard tampons for me. I would also highly recommend a pack of travel sized wipes if you are using public restrooms. The manufacturer says you can wipe the cup out with toilet paper at changes if needed but I found that ineffective and rinsing or a wet wipe to work best. I didn’t find it to leak although some say they use a cloth pantyliner with it just in case. I cannot attest to its effectiveness overnight as a personal preference I cant use anything but a pad at night.

I’m a convert!

L rating (O rating to come): *****

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Mama Owl:

Okay, I am not afraid…I am going there.

The insertion:

Well, I waited…and waited…and waited. Crazy post baby periods taking their own crazy amount of time to show its ugly head. When the time finally came, I never thought I would be thinking this way, but I literally COULD NOT wait to get my period in order to try it! When that day finally came, I anxiously trotted up to the bathroom to meet my new friend! Cup in hand and pants around my ankles, I nervously stared at the instructions one last time (as if that last glance did anything). I had already had the ‘dress rehearsal’ and now it was showtime! I wet it with some warm water, folded it into my choice of folds to start; the 7-fold, and the fun began. I got it in part of the way where I could feel that it was still folded a bit, slightly pushed a little bit more, and then it comfortably slid into place. “Well that wasn’t bad,” I thought to myself. I stood up, pulled up my pants, did my shimmy once again, washed my hands, and was on my way. Yes, walking with it was a fun experience for the first few minutes. Definitely had a feeling there was a bubble in there. Then slowly as the moisture balanced out and my body registered and accepted its existence, I couldn’t tell it was there just like a tampon. Now removing it…that is a whole different story….

The removal:

So it came time that I thought, “hmm maybe I should check on this thing.” So hands washed, I sat down to begin my excavation. What felt like fist deep in places I do not want to be during this time of the month, I was able to release the suction. I tried the traditional pinching of the cup to release the suction and, yeah, no dice. Let me be the first to tell you…in a state of panic, TUGGING DOESN’T WORK! This is a suction item so that way is a no go. Okay. I have a cup…stuck in my vagina. Awesome. There are 6 children and my aid downstairs, and I have a cup stuck in my body. Okay, more digging. One last desperate PULLLL. Hmm. Leg up on the tub, one cheek on the seat, I found the top. Released the suction at the rim of the cup, and slid it down. It wasn’t folded anymore however, but I was just so relieved at getting it out that I toughed it out and…POP! I gave birth to a beautiful 2 ounce silicone cup! and I couldn’t have been more proud! Little did I know that this would be my way of getting it out…EVERY TIME! I am still working on it. I love it though, don’t get my wrong. I do find sometimes that the stem can shift a bit and get trapped between the inner skin of the vagina and pinch, but a shimmy and a shake of the leg and it rights itself again. I almost wonder if the Diva Cup has a “post childbirth size” for a reason? Maybe mine moves around in there too much and gets wedged a bit. As far as leaking goes, I didn’t find very much leaking after a few hours, but it was a very heavy period for me this time being my first real period since giving I conceived little owl (21 months), so I changed it about 3 times that day. It would help to keep a panty liner or a cloth pad to wash easily or prevent any leaking to your outer pants. I really like it though and am ready for the next period to meet my match once again!

The dump:

Did you think I was going to forget the most disgusting part??? All of this talk about dumping it at a public place; here is my thoughts…avoid it if you can if you are in a stall. Find a one person bathroom or do it at home before you go and immediately upon getting home if you are out for a long time. It is just my personal opinion as it is definitely easier, cleaner, and the ‘ick’ factor decreases from a hand washing standpoint if you have a sink to privately rinse out in and wash bloody fingers. When you get it out, it is full of uterine lining, blood, and whatnot so yeah, its a bit messy and gross to look at, but it really is fascinating in a nasty way. It gives you a sense of what your amazing body does once a month to prepare for the eventual shot at the beauty of life that will be growing inside you.

Armed and ready for next month…even got a Party in My Pants (cloth pad) to keep my Femmecup company in the land of future life-giving.

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AND THE GIVEAWAY Is now CLOSED!!
Previous entries from giveaway one will automatically be re-entered in this giveaway, but to double your chance at winning post a new comment that follows the rules of the second drawing.

Rules:
Do you have a magical cure for cramps? Eliminated bloating? Post a comment with your best PMS and Period tips…Don’t have one? Be creative and make it up! Only one comment per person please!

So sorry to leave our readers for our unannounced hiatus the past few weeks. The childcare and our families have kept us busy with birthdays, goodbyes to old friends and welcoming new and very tiny friends.
It seems our Paci Pixie giveaway was not as popular as hoped. We can reopen it at a later date! We have since received some more fun samples (as well as being promised some by other companies that never followed through *frowns*). This week we will have a second Femmecup giveaway and an Inchbug Labels gift card giveaway too! Hopefully we will be able to post reviews more often but as you all know juggling family, work and fun can be a challenge at times. Thank you for bearing with us!!

Amanda (via rangom.org) Congratulations! We will be contacting you by email shortly.
Previous entrys will be re-entered in the next giveaway, but to double your chance at winning post a new comment that follows the rules of the second drawing.